Broken Kingdoms: WK2 - THU
Kingdoms of Accumulation - Deuteronomy 17:14-17
“You are about to enter the land the LORD your God is giving you. When you take it over and settle there, you may think, ‘We should select a king to rule over us like the other nations around us.’ If this happens, be sure to select as king the man the LORD your God chooses. You must appoint a fellow Israelite; he may not be a foreigner.
“The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself or send his people to Egypt to buy horses, for the LORD has told you, ‘You must never return to Egypt.’ The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the LORD. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.
Many years before the people asked for a king in 1 Samuel 8, God warned the Israelites that monarchs tend to pursue selfish interests, accumulate wealth, and surround themselves with many women. Even as Moses guided the Hebrews during their desert exodus, Yahweh expressed concerns that perfectly described the time of King Solomon.
1 Kings 4 describes, “God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore. In fact, his wisdom exceeded that of all the wise men of the East and the wise men of Egypt. He was wiser than anyone else…” (v.29-31). But there are different forms of wisdom, aren’t there? Clearly, Solomon had unique judicial insight and organizational cleverness. He possessed the communication skills to forge powerful alliances and negotiate trade deals. The king had the charisma, power, and credibility to command the respect and allegiance of his people. Still, something important was missing. Solomon spent his life searching for answers that eluded him.
Given familiarity with the Torah, it is surprising to consider that Solomon couldn’t see himself in the warnings God gave before crossing the Jordan River into Canaan. The book of 1 Kings describes the outlandish wealth he accumulated. Chapter 4 lists the vast resources required to feed the king’s household (4:22-23). He owned 12,000 horses (4:26) and conscripted 30,000 men to build the temple, his palace, Jerusalem’s walls, and several cities under forced labor (5:13; 9:15-28). His taxation yielded over 25 tons of gold per year, along with other wealth (10:14-15). In fact, Solomon possessed so much gold that nothing of importance in Israel was made of silver, as 1 Kings 10:21 says, “… silver was considered worthless in Solomon’s day!” He speaks from personal experience when he says, “Even the king milks the land for his own profit!” (Ecclesiastes 5:9).
God counseled against the king taking “many wives.” So what does Solomon do? His story reads like someone who has turned God’s warnings into his playbook. “He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the LORD.” (1 Kings 11:3)
You probably know a scholar at the top of their field who can’t seem to navigate everyday situations. Physicians and lawyers, business leaders and investment managers are just as prone to poor relationships as anyone. It turns out that emotional, moral, and spiritual wisdom is different from running the world, amassing wealth, or gaining popularity. Though his life is described as an unmitigated success, Solomon grows increasingly despondent. All the things he originally considered worthwhile prove futile. He admits, “How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!” (Ecclesiastes 10:10).
Whether you are experiencing incredible success or struggling today, whether the sun is shining or clouds have surrounded you, remember the words of Jesus, “… what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” (Mark 8:36) and “… seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33).
“You are about to enter the land the LORD your God is giving you. When you take it over and settle there, you may think, ‘We should select a king to rule over us like the other nations around us.’ If this happens, be sure to select as king the man the LORD your God chooses. You must appoint a fellow Israelite; he may not be a foreigner.
“The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself or send his people to Egypt to buy horses, for the LORD has told you, ‘You must never return to Egypt.’ The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the LORD. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.
Many years before the people asked for a king in 1 Samuel 8, God warned the Israelites that monarchs tend to pursue selfish interests, accumulate wealth, and surround themselves with many women. Even as Moses guided the Hebrews during their desert exodus, Yahweh expressed concerns that perfectly described the time of King Solomon.
1 Kings 4 describes, “God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore. In fact, his wisdom exceeded that of all the wise men of the East and the wise men of Egypt. He was wiser than anyone else…” (v.29-31). But there are different forms of wisdom, aren’t there? Clearly, Solomon had unique judicial insight and organizational cleverness. He possessed the communication skills to forge powerful alliances and negotiate trade deals. The king had the charisma, power, and credibility to command the respect and allegiance of his people. Still, something important was missing. Solomon spent his life searching for answers that eluded him.
Given familiarity with the Torah, it is surprising to consider that Solomon couldn’t see himself in the warnings God gave before crossing the Jordan River into Canaan. The book of 1 Kings describes the outlandish wealth he accumulated. Chapter 4 lists the vast resources required to feed the king’s household (4:22-23). He owned 12,000 horses (4:26) and conscripted 30,000 men to build the temple, his palace, Jerusalem’s walls, and several cities under forced labor (5:13; 9:15-28). His taxation yielded over 25 tons of gold per year, along with other wealth (10:14-15). In fact, Solomon possessed so much gold that nothing of importance in Israel was made of silver, as 1 Kings 10:21 says, “… silver was considered worthless in Solomon’s day!” He speaks from personal experience when he says, “Even the king milks the land for his own profit!” (Ecclesiastes 5:9).
God counseled against the king taking “many wives.” So what does Solomon do? His story reads like someone who has turned God’s warnings into his playbook. “He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the LORD.” (1 Kings 11:3)
You probably know a scholar at the top of their field who can’t seem to navigate everyday situations. Physicians and lawyers, business leaders and investment managers are just as prone to poor relationships as anyone. It turns out that emotional, moral, and spiritual wisdom is different from running the world, amassing wealth, or gaining popularity. Though his life is described as an unmitigated success, Solomon grows increasingly despondent. All the things he originally considered worthwhile prove futile. He admits, “How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!” (Ecclesiastes 10:10).
Whether you are experiencing incredible success or struggling today, whether the sun is shining or clouds have surrounded you, remember the words of Jesus, “… what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” (Mark 8:36) and “… seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33).
- If you received an unexpected amount of money and all your bills and ongoing expenses were already taken care of, what would you spend it on? Why would you choose that?
- If you were famous, what would you want to be known for?
- What priorities do you worry are out of balance in your life? Who could you talk to about this? What would you like to say to Jesus about this?
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